Over 500 wheat flour bags handed over to Gujarat govt to "collect" money for Dalit-Adivasi scholarship

The rally in front of the district collector's office

By A Representative
Dalit rights activists from 500 villages of Gujarat, led by Navsarjan Trust founder Martin Macwan, organized a rally from Gandhi Ashram to the Ahmedabad district collector’s office to highlight the failure of the state government to provide scholarship to nearly 70,000 Dalit and Adivasi students over the last two years.
Carried out under the banner “Vote nahi Lot” (not vote, but wheat flour), the rally handed over hundreds of wheat flour bags to the Ahmedabad district collector to be handed over to chief minister Vijay Rupani.

Martin Macwan at the rally

“We wanted to send the message that if they don’t have money to disburse Rs 2.73 crore as scholarship to 70,000 children, they could l sell these wheat flour bags to give scholarships”, Macwan said. Twelve activists handed over the wheat flour packs along with a memorandum to the district collector. The memorandum said, “It is most unfortunate that on the eve of the 72nd year of India’s Independence Day celebrations, we would have to hand over collect wheat flour from villages and hand it over to help Dalit and Adivasi students.”
The memorandum said, “In 2007, the percentage of school pass outs was 70.65%, which went down to 53.62% in 2018. In so-called backward districts the results have been even poorer. It was 37.35% in Dahod, 48.85% in Mahisagar and 49.8% in Chhotaudepur districts. These are the districts where majority of students come from the poor Adivasi background. It seems the government adopts an attitude of untouchability towards these districts by undermining government schools and promoting private schools.”

Comments

Telangana government urged to stop 'unconstitutional' relocation of Chenchu tribes

By A Representative The Nallamalla forests are witnessing a renewed surge of indigenous resistance as the Chenchu adivasis , a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), have formally launched the Chenchu Solidarity Forum (CSF) on the eve of World Earth Day to combat what they describe as unlawful and forced relocation from the Amrabad Tiger Reserve .

Dhandhuka violence: Gujarat minority group seeks judicial action, cites targeted arson

By A Representative The Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) Gujarat has written to the Director General of Police seeking judicial action in connection with recent violence in Dhandhuka town of Ahmedabad district, alleging targeted attacks on properties belonging to members of the Muslim community following a fatal altercation between two bike riders on April 18.

Cracks in Gujarat model? Surat’s exodus reveals precarity behind prosperity claims

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The return of migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, particularly from Gujarat, was inevitable. Gujarat has long been showcased as the epitome of “infrastructure” and the business-friendly Modi model. Yet, when governments become business-friendly, they require the poor to serve them—while keeping them precarious, unable to stabilize, demand fair wages, or assert their rights. The agenda is clear: workers must remain grateful for whatever crumbs the Seth ji offers.

'Fraudulent': Ex-civil servants urge President to halt Odisha tribal land dispossession

By A Representative A collective of 81 retired civil servants from the Constitutional Conduct Group has written to the President of India expressing alarm over what they describe as the wrongful dispossession of tribal lands in Odisha’s Rayagada district. The letter, dated April 19, 2026, highlights violent clashes in Kantamal village where police personnel reportedly injured over 70 tribal residents attempting to protect their community rights.

India 'violating international law obligations' over Israel ties: UN rapporteur

By A Representative Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, has alleged that India is “violating its obligations under international law” through its continued association with Israel, including defence ties and alleged arms exports during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Why Tamil Nadu, Periyar, and the Dravidian model aren't just regional phenomena

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The election campaign in Tamil Nadu this season is strikingly different. The alliance led by the DMK is consistently referred to as the “ DMK alliance ,” not the “INDIA alliance.” This distinction is unsurprising given the state’s history: Tamil Nadu remains the only state to decisively reject “national” parties. The AIADMK’s surrender to the BJP after J. Jayalalithaa ’s death represents, in many ways, a betrayal of the politics of Tamil identity—an identity Periyar envisioned as Dravidian, not narrowly Tamil.

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

World Book Day: Celebrating the power of reading in the Indian context

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* Written language is one of humanity’s greatest achievements, setting us apart from all other living beings. In a country like India, home to diverse languages, cultures, and traditions, books play an even more powerful role. They are not just tools of communication but bridges across generations, regions, and ideologies. When we read the works of Munshi Premchand or Rabindranath Tagore , we are not merely reading stories; we are engaging in a silent conversation with minds that lived decades, even centuries ago. That is the true power of books: they preserve thoughts, ideas, and emotions beyond time. Recognising this immense value, the world celebrates World Book Day , a day dedicated to honouring books, authors, and the joy of reading.

The aesthetic of new pain: Transforming social reality into poetry

By Ravi Ranjan* The poetry of Kumar Ambuj , specifically the twelve works published in 'Samalochan' in April 2026, serves as a profound and vibrant document of contemporary Indian society that intertwines personal wounds with deep-seated social structures. Ambuj’s sociological and aesthetic vision is one that peels away layers of reality without resorting to slogans, standing firmly in favor of democracy, secularism, and scientific consciousness while critiquing the minutiae of capitalist modernity.

Search This Blog